10 minute read
Editors share their thoughts on the importance of voting in this election
2020 ELECTION GUIDE | OPINIONS
Just vote vs. vote blue
Should people vote for who they want to lead, or should they stay home if that person is President Donald J. Trump? Daily Wildcat Editor-in-Chief Sam Burdette and Managing Editor Pascal Albright debate how U.S. citizens should be using their vote this election season
I don’t care who, just vote
BY SAM BURDETTE
@SuperSafetySam
Ijust got my early ballot in the mail. Now, it lies on my dresser awaiting the moment I tear it open and do my part in creating the representative government the U.S. was designed to have. That is the main point, isn’t it? For our government to represent us as a population of competent adults?
This is why I take issue with so many today telling people, “If you aren’t voting Biden, don’t vote at all.” I’m just as much a fan of Trump as the next broke 20-year-old college student, but I strongly believe you should – and, more than ever, need to – vote for who you think is best fit to lead this country in the direction you want it to go. As much as it may be controversial to say it, if that means you vote to reelect Donald Trump, so be it.
I truly believe the problem isn’t who you vote for, it’s whether you choose to vote or not. If all of us, and I mean every one of us 18- to 24-year-olds, got out there and voted, we could have quite the impact on this country. Our voice as the future of the United States would be represented fairly. If that means Trump gets reelected — well, then that was, democratically, our decision as a country. We as a group of people would have decided that was the direction we wanted our country to go in. Sure, many of us would be unhappy, outraged even, but at least it would have been fair.
I already hear the counterarguments: “The Electoral College system is flawed, Trump was elected after losing the popular vote, the Russians are meddling in our elections – you call that fair?” No, frankly, I don’t. And that sucks. But that doesn’t mean a greater voter turnout won’t make it fairer. According to Pew Research Center, 61.4% of the U.S. adult population voted in the 2016 election. That sounds like a lot, but that means 38.6% of the population didn’t vote. That’s over a third of us. That’s over 74 million of us.
All this to say: I really don’t care what you vote for. I don’t care if you vote for or against Prop 207. I don’t care if you’re on team Martha McSally or team Mark Kelly. I don’t even care if you support Biden or Trump.
But – no matter who or what you’re planning on voting for – I do care that you vote.
— Sam Burdette is a journalism student and the current editor-in-chief for the Daily Wildcat
I don’t care who (you are), you vote blue!
BY PASCAL ALBRIGHT @pascalloves
My ballot also arrived at my home sometime last week, however mine is already filled in with the right candidate to get us out of this mess. While I truly believe in a democratic system where the people in power are elected by the people, for the people, we can kind of agree the systems/ideals of the past clearly need updating, including when it comes to elections and our political system.
The U.S. political system is very messy when it comes to voting and elections and with time so much has changed. Remember, there were times where human beings that walked the same streets couldn’t vote for the people in power to represent them. Now, in 2020, practicing that right to vote is more important than ever.
Now, while voting in general for the people you personally believe in to best represent you is the main idea in this and all elections, I have something else to say. In the 2020 presidential election, we the people cannot vote Donald J. Trump in for another four years. Joe Biden is the only candidate to take seriously this election and the one worth voting for.
This was made clear by the first presidential debate held Tuesday, Sept. 29, where Biden used this as a platform to address the American people, whereas Trump practiced his “right” to bash his opponent and dismiss questions and critical feedback from the people. The debate is a perfect example of how messy and much of a joke the last four years have been, from banning people from entering this country because of religious reasons to locking children in cages, and being responsible for the pandemic mess we are in right now. If it’s not clear by now that this country is a mess and we need cleaning up, I don’t know what it will take.
According to The Washington Post, Pres. Trump has made more than 20,000 false or misleading claims and has run this country like one of his failing businesses, on lies and misdirection. It is time to get rid of the clowns in office, and while Joe Biden doesn’t have the cleanest closet, he is the one and only candidate worth the vote!
Vote blue to get rid of the racist foolishness that runs our country. Why vote for someone that will only make things worse as seen by the last four years of lies and deceit? Vote Biden in or don’t vote at all!
— Pascal Albright is a journalism student — Pascal Albright is a journalism student and the current managing editor for the and the current managing editor for the Daily Wildcat Daily Wildcat
2020 ELECTION GUIDE | OPINIONS
BY LAUREN BORELLI
@DailyWildcat
Election day is quickly approaching for what will surely be an unprecedented year. Voting methods have become highly controversial considering the lasting pandemic, with many worrying about exposure to COVID-19 when heading to the polls. The current solution is through mail-in ballots, though it has caused mass amounts of controversy to circulate through the news, social media and every other point of contact with the outside world. Amidst the chaos and confusion, it can be very difficult to know where to start on understanding the process. Here is everything you need to know about mail-in ballots, why that matters and how to make your vote count.
Public opinion on voting via mail varies across the country, and states have independently decided which course of action they feel is best. Out of this, three main methods regarding how citizens can vote using absentee ballots have developed.
The first method of modified voting will be
ARIZONA
FROM PAGE 4 that end up voting.
Another big election that will affect Arizona’s ‘swing’ and solidify a purple status, is that of the Senate election. The race between incumbent Senator Martha McSally and Captain Mark Kelly has gained national attention and is one multiple battleground Senate races that will decide the future of the US Senate, along with Georgia, South Carolina and Kentucky. As election day gets closer, Kelly continues to poll significantly higher than McSally, almost guaranteeing a win for him in November.
“Arizona is one of the states that is a battleground state — both parties think they have a chance of winning the presidential election. Also, the Arizona conducted entirely through mail. According to The New York Times, nine states plus Washington D.C. will be automatically sending D.C. will be automatically sending ballots via mail to all registered voters within the state, while some states will require a request for an absentee ballot.
The second method voters can expect to see is no-excuse needed absentee voting. According to the same article, so far, up to 35 states will be allowing registered voters to cast votes through an absentee ballot without the requirement of providing a qualifying excuse. Within some of these states, absentee ballots will be sent to registered voters automatically.
The third method, only consisting of five states, will require a valid excuse for an absentee ballot. Unlike other states, these states will not allow the risk of contracting COVID-19 as an acceptable excuse. Voters in these districts will be required to vote in person unless under “extenuating circumstances,” which cannot include the coronavirus.
Mail-in voting is in the spotlight of most news and Donald Trump’s tirades today as if it has never been used before this election. This is obviously not the case. The first instance of absentee voting dates back as far as the Civil War. President Abraham Lincoln made the senate seat is a must win for both parties,” Norrander said. “One indicator of the importance of Arizona to both the presidential and senate races is the amount of money that is being spent in the states by all of the candidates.”
While battleground races occur every election, one of the most glaring reasons behind the Republicans hard fight to keep control of the house lies in the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett. Any new Democratic senators will be one more vote against the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett, with only four more votes needed.
No one will know for sure which way Arizona will go until results are in, but one thing is for sure: the importance of Arizonans voting is more critical than ever, no matter where you stand.
decision to send ballots to the soldiers while they were in combat, claiming that there is no free government without elections. During World War II, the Soldier Voting War II, the Soldier Voting Act of 1942 was passed and Act of 1942 was passed and widely promoted to ensure widely promoted to ensure all American soldiers had the opportunity to vote. Since then, many more acts like this were passed through the years to make it easier for men and women to cast their votes.
The method of voting through the mail has since become widely accepted, and in 2000, Oregon switched to voting entirely through the mail. Washington, Colorado, Utah and Hawaii have since modified voting to entirely through the mail, even before the outbreak of COVID-19.
A large concern about such large quantities of mail-in ballots is the unintentional disenfranchisement of voters. If the ballot is not mailed in time or has any error in its completion, the vote will not be counted. To make sure your vote counts, learn your local voting requirements and deadlines and be sure to register and mail in ballots as early as possible. When you do receive your ballot, be sure to pay careful attention and follow all directions exactly. Do not let your vote be discarded because of a silly signature error.
There have been many controversial comments made regarding mail-in ballots. In looking at our own history, it is easy to see that mail-in ballots have run effectively for decades, with no statistically significant proof of voter fraud ever happening. Providing an option for all Americans to vote while maintaining their safety is crucial to the principles in which our country was based on. The aggressive rhetoric circulating through the news about the invalidity of mailin ballots is nothing more than passionate language aimed at gaining votes from people who easily fall victim to conspiracy theories. Look at the facts, and know that your vote will count and your voice will be heard in whatever method of voting is best for you. — Lauren is a political science major from Baltimore
USPS MAIL OPTIONS:
Blue USPS free-standing mailbox on Park Ave, 615 N. Park Ave., in front of the Global Center.
Blue USPS free-standing mailbox at the northeast corner of Euclid and University, 825 E. University Blvd., next to the CVS
2020 ELECTION GUIDE | ARIZONA
Pharmacy.
